Curried Pumpkin Gyoza

Curried Pumpkin Gyoza – Not Your Typical Veggie Gyoza

It’s pumpkin time! Here’s one of my favorite ways to use pumpkin – curried pumpkin gyoza.

(This is a repost. I really love this recipe for fall.)

Curried Pumpkin Gyoza

Makes about 25

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (about 1/2 can)
• 3 oz firm tofu (about 1/2 block), mashed
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (leaves only)
• 1 block Japanese curry, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• gyoza wrappers
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

1. Make the filling by mixing together the pumpkin puree, tofu, scallions, garlic, cilantro leaves, dissolved curry, soy sauce and panko. If the mixture is a little lumpy, you can use a spoon to “chop” things up a bit more.

Be sure to leave room to seal the edges.

2. Lay out a few gyoza wrappers on your work surface. Keep the rest covered with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Place a teaspoon or so mound of the filling in the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in the cornstarch water mixture and paint the outer edges of each wrapper.

Pinch the edges tightly to seal.

3. Fold the wrappers toward the center until the outer edges meet. Crimp the edges tightly with your fingers. Repeat the steps for filling and creating the gyoza.

Letting the bottoms brown in oil adds a pleasant crunch to the finished gyoza.

4. To cook, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottom frying pan. Place a few gyoza in the pan and cook until they begin to get nicely golden on the bottom. Grab a top that fits the pan. Using the top as a shield, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover the pan with the lid. Cook until the water is dissolved and the gyoza wrappers are sufficiently steamed, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to remove the gyoza from the pan.

5. Wipe the pan clean before cooking each batch.

Just a little light sodium soy sauce is perfect for dipping.

6. Serve the Curried Pumpkin Gyoza warm with light soy sauce for dipping.